Examining optimism and flourishing as protective factors of suicidality across the adult lifespan: A cross-sectional investigation in three Spanish age groups

We examined optimism and flourishing as unique protective predictors of suicidality (viz., suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors) in a cross-sectional study of young adults (18-35 years), middle-aged adults (36-55 years), and older adults (≥56 years). Young adults were found to have higher levels of suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors compared to middle-aged and older adults. Controlling for depressive symptoms, the results of conducting regression analyses consistently implicated flourishing as a distinct predictor of lower suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors in young adults and middle-aged adults. However, for older adults, only optimism was found to be a unique predictor of lower suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors. Implications of the present findings for understanding the differential role of optimism and flourishing in accounting for suicidality across the adult lifespan are discussed.

Knowing is half the battle: Regulating and appraising emotions co-protect from suicidal ideation

College students, particularly those in healthcare fields, face an elevated risk of suicidal ideation and depression. Therefore, it is essential to explore how both actual and perceived emotional resources may play a role in suicide prevention within this age group. This study examined (1) whether actual self-focused emotion-regulation ability diminishes suicidal ideation through a decrease in depressive symptoms, and (2) whether perceived self-emotion appraisal moderates this relationship. In 312 healthcare students (209 women) actual self-focused emotion-regulation ability was negatively related to suicidal ideation through depressive symptoms. Furthermore, perceived self-emotion appraisal buffered the relationship between depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation. Findings suggest that perceived self-emotion appraisal may reinforce the adaptiveness of actual self-focused emotion-regulation ability as a protective factor for psychological maladjustment. The results indicate the collaborative ability to regulate one's emotions coupled with the self-perception of emotion appraisal could effectively alleviate the potential progression of emotional difficulties among healthcare students.

Emotional Intelligence and Teachers' Work Engagement: The Mediating and Moderating Role of Perceived Stress

A growing number of studies have tested the relationship between personal resources (e.g. emotional intelligence) and indicators of occupational well-being, including work engagement. However, few have examined health-related factors moderating or mediating the pathway from emotional intelligence to work engagement. A better knowledge of this area would contribute substantially to the design of effective intervention strategies. The present study's main goal was to test the mediating and moderating role of perceived stress in the association between emotional intelligence and work engagement. The participants comprised 1166 Spanish teaching professionals (744 of whom were female and 537 worked as secondary teachers; M_age = 44.28 years). The results showed that perceived stress partially mediated the link between emotional intelligence and work engagement. Moreover, the positive relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement was strengthened among individuals who scored high in perceived stress. The results suggest that multifaceted interventions targeting stress management and emotional intelligence development may facilitate engagement in emotionally demanding occupations such as teaching.

Suicide risk assessment and depressive symptoms among Spanish adolescent bully-victims: Evidence for the importance of emotional intelligence and sex

The aim of this study is to explore a model examining how emotional intelligence (EI), sex, depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviours (STB) may interact. The sample included 380 Spanish adolescent bully-victims (61.6% boys; mean age = 14.38 years). The results indicated that EI is a significant negative predictor of decreased STB and that this relation is fully mediated by depressive symptoms. This effect was moderated by sex, such that the mediation is stronger for girls compared to boys. The promotion of EI may be core in the development of prevention programmes for suicide, especially among female bully-victims.

The moderating role of emotional intelligence in the link between self-esteem and symptoms of eating disorders

OBJECTIVE

This research aimed to explore the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI) in the relationship between self-esteem and eating disorders (ED) symptomatology.

METHOD

A battery of online questionnaires was administered to a sample of 516 adults including university students and a community population. The sample, age range of 18-77 years (X = 38.90; SD = 14.76), was made up of 63% women and 32% men.

RESULTS

EI moderated the association between self-esteem and ED symptomatology for the total sample. However, a gender-specific analysis showed that the moderation effect was only significant for women. Specifically, when women reported a low level of self-esteem, those with high scores in EI reported lower scores in ED symptoms than those with low EI.

DISCUSSION

Our findings are discussed in terms of the need for future research to understand the different gender associations and to consider these differences in further intervention programs for reducing the risk of ED, in which training in emotional skills may be more beneficial for women than men.

Uso problemático de redes sociales e inteligencia emocional en adolescentes: análisis de las diferencias por género

El uso excesivo de redes sociales puede afectar el bienestar de los adolescentes. Investigaciones recientes encuentran relaciones significativas entre el uso problemático de las redes sociales (UPRS) y el desajuste psicológico. Este estudio propone analizar las diferencias por género en el porcentaje de riesgo alto de UPRS e indagar las relaciones con la inteligencia emocional (IE) en adolescentes. Participaron 597 adolescentes (58,8 % chicas, 45,2 % chicos), de 12 a 19 años. Los participantes completaron cuestionarios de IE (WLEIS) y de UPRS (BSMAS). Los resultados indican que las chicas tienen un porcentaje superior de UPRS (17,7 %) que los chicos (13,4 %). Adicionalmente, se observó que los chicos puntuaron significativamente más alto en las dimensiones de percepción intrapersonal, regulación emocional e IE global, mientras que las chicas tuvieron una percepción interpersonal más alta. Sin embargo, el análisis de correlaciones por género indicó que solo para las chicas las dimensiones de percepción intrapersonal, asimilación, regulación emocional e IE tuvo una correlación negativa y significativa con el UPRS. Los resultados sugieren que el porcentaje de alto riesgo de UPRS más elevado en las chicas podría relacionarse con los niveles más bajos en percepción intrapersonal, regulación emocional e IE global, lo que apunta a la necesidad de diseñar estrategias de prevención que atiendan a dichas diferencias de género.

Inteligencia emocional y síntomas de trastornos alimentarios en adultos españoles: Evidencias sobre el rol mediador de las estrategias de regulación cognitivo emocional

La inteligencia emocional (IE) y las estrategias de regulación constituyen recursos personales relevantes para la prevención de los trastornos de conducta alimentaria (TCA). En concreto, las estrategias de regulación cognitivo emocional (ERCE) desadaptativas han mostrado vínculos positivos con criterios de TCA. Sin embargo, no existen estudios que analicen el potencial rol mediador de las ERCE en la relación entre IE y TCA. Nuestro objetivo fue analizar el papel mediador de las ERCE entre IE y TCA. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 516 adultos españoles entre población comunitaria y universitaria. Cumplimentaron una batería administrada de forma online que incluía medidas de IE, ERCE y sintomatología de TCA. Nuestros resultados mostraron que altos niveles de IE se asociaron positivamente con las ERCE adaptativas y negativamente con las ERCE desadaptativas y con síntomas de TCA. Adicionalmente, los análisis de mediación mostraron que las ERCE desadaptativas mediaron la relación entre la IE y los síntomas de TCA. Estos hallazgos sugieren que las personas con alta IE podrían informar menos sintomatología de los TCA, en parte, debido al menor uso de las ERCE desadaptativas. Finalmente, se discuten las implicaciones para evaluar y mejorar estos recursos psicológicos en los programas de prevención y tratamiento de los TCA.

A 4-month prospective study of the relationship between emotional intelligence and suicide ideation in Spanish adolescents: The mediating role of positive and negative affect

This research examined the relationships among emotional intelligence, positive and negative affect, and suicide ideation between Spanish adolescents in a 4-month follow-up study. Adolescents (N = 1,174) from Southern Spain completed an emotional intelligence scale and, 4 months later, 818 of them completed scales measuring affect and suicide ideation. Mediation analyses revealed that both positive and negative affect were significant partial mediators of the prospective relationship between emotional intelligence and suicide ideation. Overall, our findings support the role of emotional intelligence in suicidal thoughts, suggesting that emotional intelligence may reduce suicide ideation in part through its effects on affectivity.

Student aggression against teachers, stress, and emotional intelligence as predictors of withdrawal intentions among secondary school teachers

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

This exploratory study aimed to test the buffering effect of emotional intelligence in the associations between aggression against teachers, perceived stress, and withdrawal intentions.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A sample of 329 secondary school teachers (51.4% female) completed questionnaires assessing aggression against teachers, perceived stress, withdrawal intentions, and emotional intelligence.

RESULTS

The results showed that emotional intelligence was negatively related to perceived stress and withdrawal intentions. Across moderated-mediation analysis, there were mixed findings regarding the moderating effects of emotional intelligence in the proposed model. Findings indicated that emotional intelligence moderated only the association between perceived stress and withdrawal intentions.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that emotional intelligence is a psychological resource for mitigating the negative effects of perceived stress on negative work attitudes among teaching professionals in the context of harmful student behaviors. Possible avenues for including emotional intelligence in the field of teacher victimization are discussed.

Teachers’ Subjective Happiness: Testing the Importance of Emotional Intelligence Facets Beyond Perceived Stress

Purpose

Emotional intelligence (EI) is typically linked to higher subjective happiness scores in human service professionals. It is unknown which EI facets are more predictive in explaining subjective happiness beyond that accounted for by other key predictors such as perceived stress. This study investigated which EI facets were the most predictive in explaining subjective happiness above perceived stress in a relatively large sample of Spanish teachers.

Methods

The sample was composed of 1323 Spanish teaching professionals (821 females and 529 secondary school teachers) from different educational centers located in Southern Spain. A student-recruited sampling technique was used, and the surveys included the Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Subjective Happiness Scale, and the Perceived Stress Scale. Predictive and incremental validity was assessed with SPSS, and hierarchical regression analysis was used to predict subjective happiness from EI facets beyond that accounted for by perceived stress.

Results

The results showed that all four EI facets correlated significantly with each other. Also, they all were positively and significantly associated with subjective happiness, whereas perceived stress was negatively associated with happiness scores. Moreover, self-emotion appraisal, use of emotions and regulation of emotions accounted for a significant amount of variance in the prediction of satisfaction with life beyond the effects of sociodemographic variables and perceived stress.

Conclusion

This study extends the specific contribution of EI facets in predicting subjective happiness, rather than EI as a unified construct, in a relatively large sample of Spanish teachers. Self-focused dimensions involving appraisal, use and regulation of emotions appeared to be the most important predictors of happiness beyond stress experienced by teachers. Improved knowledge of the link between specific dimensions of EI and global subjective happiness might improve training in a well-being prevention program for professional development.

A mediated path from emotional intelligence to problematic social media use in adolescents: The serial mediation of perceived stress and depressive symptoms

Online social networking is an intrinsic part of present life. However, if individuals believe that some basic psychological needs can only be fulfilled through social networking sites, an addictive pattern of usage may emerge. Problematic social media use (PSMU) is a growing concern in adolescence. The present study aimed at contributing to prior scientific literature by testing a model that considers low emotional intelligence (EI) as a vulnerability factor, perceived stress and depressive symptoms as affective and cognitive responses to conflicting situations, and PSMU as a maladaptive coping mechanism. In this study, 2068 Spanish adolescents (46.2% male, 53.8% female) within the ages of 12 and 19 (M = 14.61, SD = 1.62) completed self-report measures of the above-mentioned constructs. Results indicated that (a) perceived stress was a significant mediator in the association between EI and PSMU, (b) depressive symptoms were a significant mediator in this link, and (c) a significant serial mediation model was supported, in which lower EI predicted higher perceived stress, which contributed to higher levels of depressive symptoms, thus resulting in higher PSMU. These results provide important empirical evidence suggesting promising pathways towards preventing PSMU in adolescents, such as EI training, teaching stress-reduction techniques and focusing on reducing depressive symptoms.

Psychological distress, rumination and problematic smartphone use among Spanish adolescents: An emotional intelligence-based conditional process analysis

BACKGROUND

Problematic smartphone use (PSU) is a public health issue that is currently rising among adolescents. The Compensatory Internet Use Theory (CIUT) poses that difficulties in handling negative life circumstances could result in PSU. Furthermore, the Interaction of Person-Affect-Cognition-Execution (I-PACE) model suggests that the interaction between core characteristics and affective and cognitive responses could lead to PSU. The present study aimed to clarify the links between psychological distress and PSU by exploring rumination as a mediator and emotional intelligence (EI) as a moderator.

METHODS

A sample of 1882 adolescents (54% female, 46% male) completed measures of psychological distress, rumination, EI and PSU. The PROCESS macro was used to conduct a moderated mediation analysis.

RESULTS

The mediation results showed a significant indirect effect from psychological distress to PSU through rumination. Furthermore, EI was a significant moderator of this effect. Thus, in adolescents with higher EI, the effect of psychological distress on PSU through rumination was not significant.

LIMITATIONS

Cross-sectional data do not imply causality and further studies should use longitudinal designs. Self-report questionnaires may be susceptible to social desirability bias and future studies including other sources of information may help to minimize such bias.

CONCLUSIONS

This study contributes to the field of problematic digital technology usage, showing that the link between psychological distress and PSU depends on the EI levels, which might influence PSU indirectly through rumination. Furthermore, empirical evidence for the CIUT and I-PACE models was provided. Lastly, interventions aiming at training EI may aid in the prevention of PSU.

From Deficits in Emotional Intelligence to Eating Disorder Symptoms: A Sequential Path Analysis Approach Through Self-Esteem and Anxiety

Past studies have reported emotional intelligence (EI) as a relevant factor in development and maintenance of eating disorders (ED), as well as in increasing self-esteem and reducing anxiety. Similarly, research has showed that anxiety and self-esteem are positively and negatively associated to ED criteria, respectively. However, no prior studies have yet tested the multiple intervening roles of both self-esteem and anxiety as potential mediators of the association between EI and ED symptomatology. The present study aims to bridge these gaps by testing a sequential path model. Specifically, we examine the potential sequential mediation effects of self-esteem-anxiety on the link between EI and ED. A sample composed of 516 Spanish undergraduate students and community adults completed measures of EI, self-esteem, anxiety, and ED symptomatology. The results show that high levels of EI were positively associated with self-esteem and negatively associated with anxiety and ED symptoms. Anxiety was positively associated to ED symptoms, while self-esteem levels were negatively linked to ED symptoms. Moreover, path analyses showed that self-esteem and anxiety fully mediated the relationship between EI and ED symptoms in sequence. These findings suggest that EI plays a key role in reducing symptomatology of ED through increased self-esteem and reduced anxiety symptoms, providing novel evidence regarding psychological mechanisms through which EI contributes to a reduction of ED symptomatology. Implications for assessing and improving these psychological resources in ED preventive programs are discussed.

The Role of Emotional Intelligence, the Teacher-Student Relationship, and Flourishing on Academic Performance in Adolescents: A Moderated Mediation Study

Educational context has an important influence on adolescents’ development and well-being, which also affects their academic performance. Previous empirical studies highlight the importance of levels of emotional intelligence for students’ academic performance. Despite several studies having analyzed the association and underlying mechanisms linking emotional intelligence and academic performance, further research, including both personal and contextual dimensions, is necessary to better understand this relation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to deepen the understanding of the effect of emotional intelligence has on academic performance, examining the possible mediating role of flourishing and the moderating role of the teacher-student relationship. A convenience sample of 283 adolescents (49.8% female), aged 12–18 years (M = 14.42, SD = 1.12), participated in a cross-sectional study by completing self-report questionnaires measuring emotional intelligence (Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale), flourishing (Flourishing Scale), and teacher-student relationship (Inventory of Teacher-Student Relationships) and reported their grades of the previous term on four mandatory subjects in the Spanish education curriculum. Results indicated that flourishing completely mediated the path from emotional intelligence to academic performance and that teacher-student relationship was a significant moderator in this model. Thus, in adolescents with worse teacher-student relationship, the association of emotional intelligence and flourishing was stronger than in adolescents with better teacher-student relationship. In turn, flourishing was positively associated with academic performance. These results suggest that it is crucial to foster better teacher-student relationship, especially in adolescents with low emotional intelligence, and to positively impact their well-being and their academic performance.

The Moderating Effect of Emotional Intelligence on Problematic Internet Use and Cyberbullying Perpetration Among Adolescents: Gender Differences

A large body of literature has identified the problematic Internet use as a risk factor for cyberbullying perpetration. Nevertheless, the studies on protective factors that may moderate this relationship are still scarce. The purpose of the present study was to examine if the emotional intelligence is a moderator in the relationship between problematic Internet use and cyberbullying perpetration. A total of 2039 Spanish adolescents between 12 to 18 years filled out three self-report questionnaires to evaluate these variables. Results indicated that cyberbullying perpetration was positively associated with problematic Internet use and negatively with emotional intelligence. On the other hand, problematic Internet use was negatively related to emotional intelligence, being this relationship stronger in girls. With respect to the possible buffering effect, emotional intelligence moderated the relation between problematic Internet use and cyberbullying perpetration in boys, especially at lower levels. These findings suggest that emotional intelligence is a personal resource which have an important protective role for the problematic Internet use in adolescents. Implications for the preventive interventions of cyberbullying perpetration are discussed.

Emotional intelligence and eating disorders: a systematic review

BACKGROUND

Prior research indicates that deficits in emotional abilities are key predictors of the onset and maintenance of eating disorders (ED). As a relatively new emotion-related construct, emotional intelligence (EI) comprises a set of basic emotional abilities. Preliminary research suggests that deficits in EI are linked with disordered eating and other impulsive behaviours. Also, previous research reveals that emotional and socio-cognitive abilities, as well as ED symptomatology, varies across lifespan development. However, while the findings suggest promising results for the development of potential effective treatments for emotional deficits and disordered eating, it is difficult to summarise the relationship between EI and ED due to the diversity of theoretical approaches and variety of EI and ED measures.

OBJECTIVE

Our study, therefore, aimed to systematically review the current evidence on EI and ED in both the general and clinical populations and across different developmental stages.

METHODS

The databases examined were Medline, PsycInfo and Scopus, and 15 eligible articles were identified. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were used.

RESULTS

All the studies reviewed indicated negative associations between EI and the dimensions of ED. Additionally, several mechanisms involved, namely adaptability, stress tolerance and emotional regulation were highlighted.

CONCLUSION

The systematic review suggests promising but challenging preliminary evidence of the associations between EI and the dimensions of ED across diverse stages of development. In addition, future research, practical implications and limitations are discussed.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE I

Systematic review.

Managing Teachers' Job Attitudes: The Potential Benefits of Being a Happy and Emotional Intelligent Teacher

According to the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions, the frequency of positive emotions is associated with the development of positive attitudes, cognitions, and behaviors in organizational contexts. However, positive and negative attitudes at work might also be influenced by different personal and job resources. While emotional intelligence has been significantly associated with positive job attitudes and personal well-being, no studies have yet examined the joint role of teacher happiness and emotional intelligence in key teacher job attitudes. The present study assesses whether emotional intelligence interacts with levels of teacher happiness to jointly explain important teacher job attitudes (i.e., job satisfaction and turnover intention). A total sample of 685 teaching professionals (431 female) filled out a battery of scales including subjective happiness, emotional intelligence, job satisfaction, and turnover intention. Our results revealed that subjective happiness was significantly associated with both higher job satisfaction and lower turnover intention. Likewise, emotional intelligence was positively related to happiness and job satisfaction, and negatively related to turnover intention. Finally, interaction analysis showed the main effects of happiness and emotional intelligence in explaining teacher job attitudes. Beyond the main effects, the interaction effects of happiness and emotional intelligence were significant in predicting all teachers' job attitude indicators, even controlling for the effects of their sociodemographic variables. This work expands our knowledge about the role of teachers' positive emotions in the development of positive work attitudes, and also supports the inclusion of emotional skills in future teacher preparation programs as resources to facilitate work-related well-being.

Perfil emocional de adolescentes en riesgo de un uso problemático de internet

Las tecnologías digitales brindan numerosos beneficios para nuestra vida cotidiana. Sin embargo, la investigación actual sugiere que los adolescentes se encuentran en un mayor riesgo de desarrollar un uso problemático de dichas herramientas. Dadas las consecuencias negativas para su salud y bienestar, es necesaria investigación que examine factores de detección de este riesgo. El presente estudio pretende analizar un perfil de riesgo del uso problemático de Internet, en el que se contemplan aspectos familiares (ej. monitoreo parental), comportamentales (frecuencia de uso) y psicológicos (habilidades de inteligencia emocional). La muestra estaba compuesta por 2195 adolescentes (45.9% varones y 54.1% mujeres) de entre 12 y 19 años (M = 14.6; DE = 1.65) del sur de España, quienes completaron las versiones en español del Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale y el Internet Addiction Test. Se analizaron las diferencias entre adolescentes en riesgo de PIU y sin riesgo con un MANOVA. Posteriormente, se realizó un análisis de regresión logística para determinar las variables predictoras del perfil de adolescentes con uso problemático de Internet. Los resultados mostraron el siguiente perfil: un menor monitoreo parental de las actividades fuera de casa, mayor frecuencia de uso, mayor edad y menor edad de inicio de uso, junto con niveles más elevados de percepción interpersonal y menor facilitación y regulación emocional predecían el perfil de usuario problemático de Internet. Los hallazgos pueden contribuir al diseño de intervenciones efectivas para disminuir el riesgo de que los adolescentes desarrollen un uso problemático de las nuevas tecnologías digitales y sus posibles consecuencias psicosociales

The Relationship between Personal Resources and Depression in a Sample of Victims of Cyberbullying: Comparison of Groups with and without Symptoms of Depression

Previous research has highlighted the relationship between being cybervictimised and the presence of clinical symptoms, such as depression. To date, however, there has been no comparative analysis of the personal resources profiles of adolescent victims of cyberbullying with and without depressive symptoms. The current study analysed the relationship between positive personal resources and clinical symptoms in 251 adolescent victims of cyberbullying at several Spanish high schools. It examined how several positive personal resources varied in adolescent victims of cyberbullying who displayed symptoms of depression (n = 89) or did not (n = 162). Victims of cyberbullying who displayed depressive symptoms reported lower levels of personal resources (emotional intelligence, gratitude, optimism, and forgiveness) than those who did not. Logistic regression provided evidence that gratitude was the strongest predictor of depressive symptoms in victims of cyberbullying, followed by emotional intelligence and optimism. These findings expand the existing literature on the role of personal resources in mental health and highlight the need for their development in youths to help them cope more effectively and function better after being cyberbullied.

Pathways from emotional intelligence to well-being and health outcomes among unemployed: Mediation by health-promoting behaviours

This study investigated whether health-promoting behaviours mediate the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and well-being and health outcomes in the unemployed population. Spanish unemployed (N = 530) completed questionnaires of EI, health-promoting lifestyles, subjective well-being and perceived health. Path-analytic results showed that EI predicted well-being and self-reported health. Health-promoting behaviours: spiritual growth, stress management and physical activity, partially mediated the link between EI and well-being and health outcomes. Findings are discussed in terms of the role that promoting health behaviours might play regarding to well-being and health outcomes after job-loss, and in developing of EI and health-promotion programmes for unemployed populations.

The Interplay of Emotional Intelligence Abilities and Work Engagement on Job and Life Satisfaction: Which Emotional Abilities Matter Most for Secondary-School Teachers?

Emotional intelligence has been underscored as a helpful personal resource in explaining life and job attitudes in human services employees. However, the joint interaction of emotional intelligence (EI) abilities with work engagement to explain life and job attitudes has not been tested. The present study aimed to explore the interactive role of EI abilities with work engagement in the prediction of job and life satisfaction in a sample of Spanish secondary-school teachers. A total of 190 teachers (125 females) participated in the study. Notably, the results showed that only emotion regulation ability (ERA) was significantly associated with work engagement, job satisfaction, and life satisfaction. Furthermore, ERA moderated the relationship between work engagement and job and life satisfaction. The present findings contribute to current knowledge on EI abilities and personal and job-related correlates of teachers’ work engagement.

Untangling the Emotional Intelligence-Suicidal Ideation Connection: The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies in Adolescents

Though contemporary scientific literature addressing the links between emotional intelligence (EI) and suicidal ideation in adolescents is scarce, one of the potential proposed pathways through which EI may reduce the risk of suicidal ideation involves its relationship with the use of adaptive coping strategies. The aim of this research is to provide support for an empirical pathway that proposes that the effects of EI on suicide risk may follow an indirect pathway, involving maladaptive and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies, using both cross-sectional and prospective design in two independent studies with Spanish adolescents. The sample of Study 1 consisted of 1824 students (52.4% female; mean age 14.55 years). In Study 2, 796 adolescents (54.4% female; mean age 13.76 years) filled out the measures twice, four months later. The results confirmed a positive association between EI and adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and a negative link with suicidal ideation. As expected, the results showed that both cross-sectionally (Study 1) and prospectively (Study 2) EI predicted lower suicidal ideation. Bootstrap mediation analysis indicated that only adaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies partially mediated the link between EI and suicidal ideation both cross-sectionally and prospectively. Together, those adolescents who showed higher EI were more likely to report more adaptive cognitive emotion regulation, which in turn predicted lower levels of suicidal ideation. Our findings suggest possible avenues for prevention and intervention efforts aimed at boosting emotional abilities and developing adaptive coping strategies among adolescents who are at elevated suicide risk.

A Meta-Analysis of the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Academic Performance in Secondary Education: A Multi-Stream Comparison

This study was a quantitative meta-analysis of empirical research on the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and academic performance (AP) that included the three main theoretical models of EI. We conducted a computerized literature search in the main electronic databases. Forty-four of an initial 3,210 articles met the inclusion criteria. With 49 effect sizes and a cumulative sample size of 19,861 participants, we found significant heterogeneity indices indicating a variety of results. In general, the results of this study indicated a significant effect of EI on AP (Z ¯ = 0.26). Average association between EI and AP was higher in studies measured EI as ability (Z ¯ = 0.31), than studies measured EI as self-report (Z ¯ = 0.24), and self-report mixed EI (Z ¯ = 0.26). In the educational field, this meta-analysis provides information on the specific role of EI as a function of used measures. Some practical implications are discussed.

Predictive Factors of Cyberbullying Perpetration amongst Spanish Adolescents

(1) Cyberbullying has gained increased attention from society and researchers due both to its negative psychosocial consequences and the problems that have risen relating to the misuse of technology. Despite the growing number of scientific studies, most research has focused on victims of cyberbullying rather than on the cyberbullies. This study examines the predictive value of personal resources (emotional intelligence, gratitude, and core self-evaluations) and risk factors (cybervictimization, problematic Internet use), and parental control in online activities on adolescents' involvement in cyberbullying perpetration. (2) A total of 2039 Spanish adolescents between 12 and 18 years of age took part in this research (53.9% females). (3) Twenty-two percent of the sample was engaged in cyberbullying behaviors (more male adolescents). Insults and online social exclusion were the most frequent types of cyberbullying perpetration. Age, cybervictimization, problematic Internet use, and deficits in the use and regulation of emotions were the best predictors of cyberbullying perpetration. (4) Cyberbullying is a social reality in which personal and family variables converge on a particularly vulnerable age group. Our findings suggest that both well-known predictors of cyberbullying (cybervictimization and problematic Internet use) along with others less studied dimensions (i.e., emotional abilities) need to be taken into account in future school-based interventions aimed to prevent cyberbullying perpetration.

Cyberbullying victimization and somatic complaints: A prospective examination of cognitive emotion regulation strategies as mediators

Background/Objective: The main purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among cybervictimization, maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies and somatic complaints in a 4-month follow-up study. Method: A total of 1,024 high school students (456 male and 568 female, M (SD) = 13.69 years (1.3 years), range 12–18 years, voluntarily participated in this study. Measures of cybervictimization and cognitive strategies were obtained at Time 1. Four months later (Time 2), measures of somatic complaints were obtained. Results: Multiple mediation analyses were conducted to determine the mediating roles of maladaptive strategies in the link between cybervictimization and somatic complaints. As expected, path-analytic results showed that cybervictimization predicted somatic symptoms. Furthermore, some maladaptive regulation strategies, namely self-blame and rumination, partially mediated the link between cybervictimization and somatic symptoms evaluated 4-months later. Conclusions: The findings are discussed in terms of the role that maladaptive cognitive emotion regulation strategies might play with regards to physical health in cyberbullying episodes. In general, these findings have important implications for developing an understanding about the affective determinants of somatic health problem initiation and maintenance after a victimization and for developing intervention programs specifically for cybervictimized adolescents.

Optimism and gratitude on suicide risk in Spanish adults: Evidence for doubling up or doubling down?

OBJECTIVE

The present study examines the role of optimism and gratitude as predictors of suicide risk, namely depressive symptoms and suicide ideation. Beyond their expected predictive role, optimism and gratitude were also hypothesized to interact together to predict both suicide risk outcomes.

METHODS

A sample of 1,013 Spanish adults (521 females) participated in this study. The average age was 39.63 years old (standard deviation = 16.19; range 16-82).

RESULTS

Results indicated that the optimism × gratitude interaction term significantly augmented the prediction of both depressive symptoms and suicide ideation. Specifically, pessimists presented with a higher risk of suicide, but the effect was weaker among those individuals with higher levels of gratitude. Alternatively, optimists with high gratitude showed the highest amount of protection from suicide risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings are the first to show how optimism and gratitude might interact as a positive psychological variable to confer greater personal resources in protecting individuals against suicide risk.

Predicting Job Satisfaction in Military Organizations: Unpacking the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence, Teamwork Communication, and Job Attitudes in Spanish Military Cadets

Although prior research has extensively examined the association of emotional intelligence (EI) with various job attitudes (e.g., job satisfaction), empirical and systematic investigation of this link within military institutions has captured considerably less attention. The present research analyzed the relationship between EI, teamwork communication, and job satisfaction among Spanish military cadets. We tested the potential unique contribution of EI to job satisfaction over and above demographics (i.e., gender and age), proactive personality, and resilience. Moreover, we also examined whether EI was indirectly linked to job satisfaction via its relationship with teamwork communication. A sample of 363 cadet officers of the Spanish General Military Academy completed questionnaires assessing EI, teamwork communication, proactive personality, resilience, and job satisfaction. Hierarchical regression analysis revealed that EI exhibited incremental variance (ΔR 2 = 5.2%) in predicting job satisfaction (B = 0.539, 95% CI [0.306,0.771]) even after accounting for demographics, proactive personality, and resilience. Additionally, mediation analysis showed that the association of EI with job satisfaction was partially driven by enhanced teamwork communication. This research provides empirical evidence suggesting a pathway (i.e., effective teamwork communication) through which EI could help military cadets to experience higher job satisfaction. Implications for future academic programs including EI and teamwork communication to promote positive job attitudes among military personnel are discussed.

The Interactive Effects of Personal Resources on Teachers' Work Engagement and Withdrawal Intentions: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

This research contributes to the current knowledge on teacher well-being by examining an integrated model with a personal resource (i.e., emotional intelligence) explaining teacher withdrawal intention through a mediator (i.e., work engagement) and considering the moderator effect of a second personal resource (i.e., teacher self-efficacy) in this relationship. Adopting a cross-sectional design, a total of 702 teachers (63.2% female) working at different educational levels took part in this study. The results showed that emotional intelligence and teacher self-efficacy were positively related to work engagement and negatively related to withdrawal intentions. Most importantly, the results demonstrated support for the hypothesized model-that is, teacher self-efficacy moderated the relationship between emotional intelligence and work engagement. Taken together, our findings highlight both emotional intelligence and teacher self-efficacy as positive individual resources for increased work engagement and reduced withdrawal intentions. This study has implications for the development of intervention programs aiming at increasing occupational well-being in educational settings.

Connecting Emotion Regulation to Career Outcomes: Do Proactivity and Job Search Self-Efficacy Mediate This Link?

Introduction

Over the last decade, emotion regulation has drawn much attention in the organisational literature, specifically in career outcomes. Although the relationship between emotion regulation and career outcomes has been well established, potential mechanisms that might account for this relationship are still unclear.

Method

This study attempts to narrow this gap by examining the mediating effect of proactivity and job search self-efficacy on the relationship between emotion regulation and career outcomes in a sample consisting of 399 graduates (277 women, 122 men) with ages ranging from 22 to 60 years (M=30.5, SD=8.26).

Results

Structural equation modelling showed partial mediation effects of job search self-efficacy between emotion regulation and career outcomes. However, no mediating effect was found for proactivity.

Discussion

These results suggest that the promotion of emotion regulation and self-efficacy may be fundamental in the development of programmes for career outcomes. Finally, implications and limitations of the present findings are discussed.

Psychological distress among the unemployed: Do core self-evaluations and emotional intelligence help to minimize the psychological costs of unemployment?

BACKGROUND

Past research has shown that emotional intelligence (EI) and core self-evaluations (CSE) have a unique and independent role in the prediction of psychological maladjustment in the unemployed population. However, no one to date has examined the joint contribution of EI and CSE in predicting well-being and psychological distress among the unemployed. Our objective was to examine the main and interactive role of EI and CSE in the prediction of indicators for happiness, depression, stress, and anxiety beyond socio-demographics variables.

METHODS

A sample of 1796 unemployed participants completed a battery that included socio-demographic data and questionnaires of EI, CSE, happiness, depression, stress, and anxiety. We processed the data with SPSS and Hayes PROCESS macro.

RESULTS

Pearson correlation analyses showed significant associations between EI and CSE with different mental health outcomes. Moderation analyses revealed that, beyond the main effects, the interactive term EI × CSE increased the explained variance of the prediction of happiness, but not of depression, anxiety, or stress.

LIMITATIONS

The study comprised an incidental non-clinical sample of unemployed adults, so the results might not generalize to a clinical population. Also, the study was cross-sectional, and we relied only on self-report measures, which do not allow for establishing causal links and might include biases, such as social desirability and common method variance.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the need for developing more comprehensive models including the interaction of EI and dispositional traits as contributing factors in the prediction of positive outcomes among the unemployed. Also, future promotion programs should include dimensions related to EI and CSE for increasing well-being during unemployment.

The Role of Cognitive Emotion Regulation Strategies on Problematic Smartphone Use: Comparison between Problematic and Non-Problematic Adolescent Users

Prior work has suggested that individuals with deficits in emotion regulation skills are prone to compulsive behaviour and to following maladaptive coping strategies, such as smartphone overuse, to manage negative moods. Adolescence is a vulnerable developmental stage for deficits in emotion regulation, and these are linked to excessive smartphone use. The present study is the first to examine the links between the use of specific cognitive emotion regulation (CER) strategies and problematic smartphone use in a sample of adolescents. A total of 845 Spanish adolescents (455 females) completed the Spanish versions of the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire and the Smartphone Addiction Scale, along with a socio-demographic survey. The adolescents were divided into two groups: Non-problematic smartphone users (n = 491, 58.1%) and problematic smartphone users (n = 354, 41.9%). Significant group differences were found, with the problematic users reporting significantly higher scores for all maladaptive CER strategies, including higher self-blame, rumination, blaming of others and catastrophising. The results from logistic regression analyses show that rumination, catastrophising and blaming of others were the most important variables for distinguishing between the two groups, along with gender and parental control outside the home. In summary, these findings suggest the importance of specific maladaptive CER strategies in problematic smartphone use and provide insight for relevant targets for intervention designs.

When and How Do Emotional Intelligence and Flourishing Protect against Suicide Risk in Adolescent Bullying Victims?

This study contributes to current knowledge on the protective role of emotional intelligence and flourishing in cases of suicide risk (namely depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation) in a sample of adolescent victims of traditional bullying. The proposed model tested the mediator role of flourishing in the relationship between emotional intelligence (EI) and suicide risk together with the moderating effect of EI in the relationship between low flourishing and increased suicide risk. Considering an initial sample of 1847 adolescents (52.5% female), a subsample of 494 pure bullying victims (61.3% female) took part in this research. The main results showed EI to be linked to decreased suicide risk through levels of flourishing. Moreover, EI buffered the relationship between low flourishing and the associated suicide risk. Victimized adolescents with both low levels of EI and of flourishing reported higher levels of suicide risk than their counterparts with high EI levels. This suggests the protective role of EI of both predicting higher flourishing and reducing the likelihood of suicide risk among victimized adolescents with low levels of flourishing. Finally, the practical implications of these novel findings regarding the role of EI and flourishing in the prevention of suicide risk among victimized adolescents are discussed.

Being Bullied at School: Gratitude as Potential Protective Factor for Suicide Risk in Adolescents

Bullying victimization has been recognized as a risk factor for social, physical, and psychological problems in adolescence. One promising resource that seems to protect adolescents from adversity and traumatic events is gratitude. However, no analysis of the specific role of gratitude in bullying context has been performed as yet. Thus, the aim of this research was to explore the associations between bullying victimization, gratitude and suicide risk (i.e., depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors) and gender-based differences. We also investigated whether levels of gratitude moderated the relationship between victimization and suicide risk for girls and boys. A convenience sample of 1,617 adolescents (50.5% girls; M age = 14.02) participated in this research. Adolescents completed a paper-and-pencil questionnaire about their bullying victimization, gratitude, depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Gratitude was found to be negatively related to victimization and suicide risk. While no gender differences were found in gratitude, it was observed that girls reported higher levels of suicide risk. However, the victimization × gratitude interaction contributed to variance in suicide risk, but only for girls: Those girls who were victims of bullying with high gratitude scores reported lower suicide risk than their counterparts who showed less gratitude. Thus, the findings from this present cross-sectional study suggest that gratitude is related to suicide risk in the context of bullying victimization, especially among adolescent girls. Finally, the theoretical and practical implications of our novel contributions to the understanding of gratitude as a protective factor against consequences of bullying victimization are discussed.

What bridges the gap between emotional intelligence and suicide risk in victims of bullying? A moderated mediation study

BACKGROUND

Recent research has demonstrated that victims of bullying report serious problems, such as depression, which heighten the risk of suicide. Emotional intelligence (EI) has been increasingly recognized as a protective factor, but little is known about the mechanisms underlying the relation between EI and suicide risk in victims. This study aimed to test a theoretical model of how EI, depressive symptoms and gender interact to influence suicidal ideation and attempts in a sample of Spanish victims of bullying.

METHODS

The sample comprised 465 victims (273 girls) who completed self-report measures of perceived EI, depression and suicide risk.

RESULTS

Mediation and moderation analyses were performed using conditional process analysis. Findings showed that EI is a predictor of decreased suicide in victims. This relationship was partially mediated by depressive symptoms. Furthermore, this effect was moderated by gender, such that the mediation effect was stronger in girls compared to boys (moderated mediation).

LIMITATIONS

The cross-sectional design and the use of self-report instruments. Future research should address the longitudinal relations of these findings.

CONCLUSIONS

The promotion of emotional skills could be core to the development of suicide prevention programs in those high-risk adolescents who have suffered from bullying. Furthermore, gender should be taken into consideration, especially with regard to females reporting depressive symptoms related to having been bullied.

How Does Emotional Intelligence Make One Feel Better at Work? The Mediational Role of Work Engagement

Although previous research has highlighted the association between emotional intelligence (EI) and job satisfaction, the underlying mechanisms remain relatively unexplored. To address this gap, this study examined employee engagement as a potential mediator of the association. A multi-occupational sample of 405 Spanish professionals completed the Wong Law Emotional Intelligence Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale and an Overall Job Satisfaction Scale as well as providing socio-demographic data. As expected, employees' EI was positively related to engagement dimensions (vigour, dedication and absorption) as well as overall job satisfaction. Bootstrap estimates from multiple mediation analysis confirmed that employees' perceived EI was indirectly associated with job satisfaction via vigour and dedication scores, even when controlling for the effects of socio-demographic variables. Similarly, the same pattern was found when multiple mediation was conducted for each EI dimension. Our study contributes to understanding of the processes involved in maintaining and enhancing positive attitudes at work, providing the first, encouraging evidence that work engagement play a role in the EI-job satisfaction link. Our results extend the EI literature by elucidating the pathways through which EI is linked to positive employee attitudes and suggests that intervention programs designed to bolster EI might prove effective at increasing job satisfaction.

Emotion-regulation ability, role stress and teachers' mental health

Background

Work-related stressors, including role ambiguity and role conflict, are related to psychological maladjustment and mental ill-health. However, to date, the role of personal resources such as emotion-regulation ability (ERA) in the prediction of mental health indicators has not been addressed.

Aims

To examine whether ERA would contribute to explaining teachers' depression, anxiety and stress symptoms beyond role ambiguity and role conflict.

Methods

We carried out a cross-sectional questionnaire survey. We used a correlation matrix and hierarchical regression models to analyse the data.

Results

Three hundred and thirty-six Spanish teachers (185 female) from several grade levels completed the surveys (40% response rate). Role ambiguity and role conflict were positively related to depression, anxiety and stress symptoms. ERA was negatively related to teachers' scores on depressive, anxious and stress symptoms, with predictive power above the main effects of role ambiguity and role conflict. An interaction between role ambiguity and ERA was also significant in predicting depression.

Conclusions

Our study provides preliminary evidence suggesting the development of integrative models considering work-related stressors along with personal resources such as ERA aiming to prevent teachers' mental ill-health. Future studies should examine the influence of ERA on psychological symptoms using longitudinal designs.

Cyberbullying Victimization, Self-Esteem and Suicidal Ideation in Adolescence: Does Emotional Intelligence Play a Buffering Role?

Cyberbullying has been linked to social, physical and psychological problems for adolescent victims but there has been no analysis of the specific role of emotional intelligence in protecting against the negative symptoms associated with cyberbullying victimization. This study examined the interaction between cyberbullying victimization and emotional intelligence (EI) as predictors of psychological maladjustment (operationalized as high suicidal ideation and low self-esteem) in 1,660 Spanish adolescents. We also investigated whether levels of EI moderated the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and mental health problems. The cyberbullying victimization x EI interaction contributed to variance in suicidal ideation and self-esteem in our sample of adolescent victims. Adolescent victims of cyberbullying with high EI scores reported lower suicidal ideation and higher self-esteem than their less emotionally intelligent counterparts. Thus, our data provide empirical support for theoretical and conceptual work connecting victimization, EI abilities and mental health associated with cyberbullying. This suggests that alone, but also in combination, EI may be particularly relevant in leading to increased levels of mental health issues in cyberbullying victims. Finally, the theoretical implications of our findings on the relationship between these variables and the mental health issues of adolescent victims of cyberbullying are discussed.